Gilberto Corbi (Casinos, Valencia, 1906 - Suresnes, France, 1968)
"Mujer con su bufanda" (Woman with her scarf)
Ink and gouache on paper. Signed and dated 1927.
26,5 x 17,5 cm.
"¿Los Zarco? 25 ptas" is written on the back in pencil.
Gilberto Corbi was an illustrator and caricaturist who was persecuted and exiled. He created logos, including the one used by the Socialist Party of Spain from the end of the Spanish Civil War until 1976, both in Spain and in exile.
In the refugee camp at Argelès-sur-Mer, as was the case in other camps, a type of protest publication known in French as "presse de sables", arose. Twelve refugees from camp No. 8 published fifteen handmade copies of the magazine "Barraca" in June 1939. Gilberto Corbi was one of them, along with José Atienza Toledo, Carlos Conesa Viñas and Gumersindo Sainz de Morales, among others. At the end of June, 1939 they were authorized to move to Mas de l'Abat, in lands belonging to Valmy Castle, where they edited five more issues of the magazine, creating twenty copies of each.
The first publication begins with an article entitled "Nuestra barraca" (Our shack), by José Atienza with illustrations by Corbi and Conesa.
Further on, another article stands out, "Nosostros" (Us), with a brief biographical note and caricatures of each one of the authors and artists of the magazine, drawn by Carlos Pestaña. We have reproduced the one dedicated to our painter below: "Corbi, Gilberto. 32 years old. Valencian! What else? Countryman of Sorolla, Benlliure, Blasco Ibáñez. Colourist by obligation, by birth and by region. He has a life sentence of painting!"
In this same 45-page magazine, there are two other illustrated articles
by Corbi: "Notas de Carnet" (Notes from a Notebook), by José Amic, "Amichatis" and, lastly, a poem by Atienza about the suffering of the Spanish mother, with the drawing entitled "Dolor", (Pain).
The illustrations by a Corbi who was persecuted, exiled for his ideas and deprived of liberty in a refugee camp contrast starkly with our drawing, which we dare to describe as fresh, light, avant-garde, modern, light-hearted, and immersed in the creative freedom that the 1920s brought to the world.
Undoubtedly, art, which is so necessary, looks for ways to express itself under any conditions.
For further information, please refer to the following website: https://www.memorial-argeles.eu/fr/1939/1939-1ere-periode-fevrier-mars-1939/documents/les-revues-du-camp.html